Mother of a Davis teen charged with murder sheds light into his troubled past

Illuminating a troubled family past, the mother of a Davis teen charged with murder testified in court on Monday.

Daniel Marsh, 17, is accused of torturing and mutilating Oliver "Chip" Northup, 87, and his wife, Claudia Maupin, 76, inside their Davis condominium. He changed his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity on June 2.

In light of this new plea, Yolo County Superior Court Judge David Reed granted a motion to continue the trial to allow for a psychological evaluation of the teen, postponing the trial until Aug. 25.

Marsh's mother, Sheri Hoskings, who will be unavailable during the new trial date, gave her testimony on Monday, painting a picture of a boy who was picked on in high school, struggled with depression and anorexia, and was often angry.

Marsh sat quietly in court, watching as his mother approached the stand, shedding light on the teen's upbringing.

Displaying visible emotion, Hoskings, who is rarely seen at her son's hearings, went into detail about how her marriage to Bill Marsh began to crumble when his temper became too much for her to bare.

"It was like boiling pots with lids, and trying to keep the lids down," she said, describing her ex-husband's temper.

Hoskings spent most of her energy trying to keep Bill calm, especially because his angry outbursts were frequent, usually occurring in front of Marsh and his older sister, Sarah. When the children were first born, only 17-months apart, Hoskings stayed home with them, keeping the house in order. When she decided to go back to work for the city of Davis, that did not change.

"It still fell all on me," she said. "I still had to pick it up."

Hoskings described the home environment as tense, stating that the kids seemed uncomfortable around their father.

"I had to keep the peace," Hoskings told Deputy District Attorney Amanda Zambor. She grew even more emotional when she told a story about how Bill spanked Marsh because he wouldn't sit still during a diaper change. He was not even a year old.

Realizing that their marriage was at a crossroads, they started going to counseling for their issues. The entire family went until Hoskings was told by their counselor that there is nothing she could do for Bill because he "refuses to change his behavior. For Hoskings, this was the final straw.

After 12 years of marriage, the couple divorced in 2008, preceded by a yearlong separation in 2007. During this time, Hoskings had full custody of Sarah, while Daniel went back and fourth between the two parents.

Hoskings moved out but she did not move far, renting a duplex around the corner from their Davis home. She said that she wanted the children to be able to visit their father, and allowed them to do so at their own discretion.

"Towards the end of the separation, it was very ugly," Hoskings said, stating that Bill said horrible things about her to the children, and continued to be verbally abusive, which seemed to rub off on Marsh.

"I saw changes in his attitude toward me," she said, bursting into tears. "He would have awful things to say. I was shocked because it wasn't my Daniel."

Marsh was angry about the divorce. He was angry about the affair that his mother had. "He was angry about all of it," Hoskings said, noting that "it was as if his anger was being fueled" after staying with is father.

Hoskings continued to describe her relationship with her son, her personal struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts, and the days leading up to Marsh's arrest on June 17, 2013.

When Marsh was 12-years-old, he was recognized by the Red Cross during its December 2009 Heroes Luncheon for saving a life. His father had a heart attack and passed out while driving. Marsh steered the car to a stop and pounded on his father's chest until his heart started beating again.

Hoskings described this event as traumatic for her young son. When she met Marsh at the hospital, Bill was on a stretcher getting worked on while Marsh stood there, watching.

Marsh was treated for depression himself in high school, along with anorexia nervosa. He was also in therapy, and was placed on a number of antidepressants and other medications, which Hoskings listed, but continued to struggle with anger issues. One time he even punched a hole through his bedroom door, she said.

Zambor asked if Marsh had been hallucinating or hearing voices during these outbursts.

"He wouldn't even talk to me," Hoskings said, weeping. She assumed that if Marsh were having problems, he would tell his therapist.

The murder took place April 13, 2013. Marsh was arrested on June 17, 2013 in Davis. Though Marsh was 15 at the time, he is being tried as an adult.